Freebie Friday: Skullkickers #0

[Image Comics, 7.5]

Dan Faust:
On a lark, I checked out Image’s new series by Jim Zubkavich and Chris Stevens. When it comes to fantasy, I’ve always preferred the tomb-raiding, monster-killing stories of Conan over the epic battles between Good and Evil of Lord of the Rings. From what I’ve read, Skullkickers seems to be more like the former. Two mercenaries — one a dwarf and the other…um, not — fight, kill, and drink their way across a Dungeons and Dragons-style landscape, for a price. Stevens’ art is crisp and clean, with an almost animated quality to it (which is how I like my comic art). As someone who fondly remembers watching Raimi and Tapert’s Hercules and Xena, I’d happily read more Skullkickers.
[8]

Jeff Stolarcyk:
This has a fun “Fafhrd and Grey Mouser with a Warcraft aesthetic” kind of thing, but it just makes me nostalgic for Battle Chasers.
[6]

Matt Springer:
First and foremost, how amazing is the art by Chris Stevens in this preview? It’s got this painted, rendered look but still full of energy and expressive as hell. It fits perfectly with the book’s tone which is sword and sorcery mixed with droll smartass one-liners. If the success of a preview can be judged by its ability to sell the previewed material in question, then kudos to Skullkickers #0, cause I got myself Skullkickers #1.
[8]

Jason Urbanciz:
This is a fun little book about a pair of fantasy-land barbarians looking to earn some cash as monster hunters. The book includes two stories and a preview of the first issue, each featuring our intrepid heroes dealing, amusingly, with a monster threat. This is a really fun book with pretty amazing art by Chris Stevens.
[8]